On Jan 31, 2007, at 10:05 PM, Lawson English wrote:
Steve Christensen wrote:
On Jan 31, 2007, at 3:03 PM, Lawson English wrote:
Steve Christensen wrote:
On Jan 31, 2007, at 8:40 AM, Lawson English wrote:
Is there a documented way to use QC to roll your own video FX
for iMovie?
iMovie uses plug-ins to implements its various effect types. If
you wanted to use QC inside iMovie, you'd have to write a C, C++
or Obj-C plug-in that would control the QC composition. I've
never heard of a way to directly specify a QC composition in
iMovie and have it "just work."
Thanks for the response, but I don't think it is quite accurate.
I stand by what I said. The only official way to create iMovie
effects is via the iMovie SDK available on Apple's website.
What I was referring to is the necessity to use C/C/OBJ-C.
Obviously, the compositions that iMovie comes bundled with work,
and they load into GC just fine. I would think that using one as a
template would allow for custom compositions, but I haven't tried
it yet.
Right, but the only official way is to sit down and write some C,
etc., code that conforms to the published plug-in API. There is no
official way to create a composition that works within iMovie. That
does not mean that you can't play around until you figure out how to
do it, but Apple hasn't provided any documentation, templates, etc.,
that show how it's done.
When I dragged copies of the GC filters out of the iMovie HD.app
folder, I found consistent controls for the .qtz files showing up
in GC and apparently a consistent hierarchy of macros (2 sub-
macros were always present in the Effects_filters that I looked
in). I just haven't figured out if these are special custom
interface patches, or just a generic one with custom settings.
Either way, it looks to be possible to "roll my own" QC filters
for iMovie HD, but I was hoping that someone could give pointers
as to how to proceed, preferably "official" pointers.
Apple added a few QC compositions directly into iMovie with the
iMovie 6 release, but I don't believe that it looks for them
anywhere but inside the application bundle. So far they haven't
released any documentation on what's required to make a
composition work within iMovie.
Understood. I was wondering about that, but couldn't find any
documentation. Was wondering if there was a tech-note. Obviously not.
Nope, the last iMovie SDK release was in 2003. There have been no
developer tech notes on iMovie.
Hopefully, with the next release of iLfie, QC, etc., this won't
be necessary, and a template for adding custom filters (at least)
to iMovie will be provided.
Well, that would be an iMovie decision, not a QC one since
existing compositions work just fine in the current iMovie
release. At least the ones they created.
That's my point.
I guess we'll find out when the next release comes out. Though they
haven't updated the SDK even though there have been some changes in
how iMovie and its plug-ins interact, so docs may not be forthcoming.
Just adding a home-grown .qtz file (without any attempt at
providing the right interface) not only didn't work, but
attempting to use it eventually crashed iMovie, so obviously
there's a stability issue here. It would be kool if such filters
could be tweaked to work with Final Cut express/pro, of course.
There may be very strict requirements on what is and isn't
allowed, for whatever reason. Depending on what you were
attempting, you just may have been playing outside their sandbox.
Almost certainly the case. I just wonder how many are for "safety's
sake," and how many are marketing decisions. Can't have iMovie
doing more than Final Cut, afterall.
I wasn't in on the decision so I can't say. I find out the same way
everyone else does.
